Young entrepreneurs and new small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia will soon get another avenue to market products in Singapore when Malaysia External Trade and Development Corp (Matrade) completes process to pick 50 of them to kickstart a programme.

The programme would see the first 50 SMEs picked to showcase their fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) for a six-month period at a soon-to-be set up Malaysia Trade Centre in the island-republic, Dzulkifli Mahmud, senior director of Matrade’s exporters development division, said at a media briefing.

“We’re hoping to diversify our market for FMCGs through this type of network,” he said, adding that this was in addition to other initiatives to expand FMCG exports to Singapore.

Dzulkifli pointed out that there was a need to look at other channels to enhance the visibility of local FMCGs, in particular for new SMEs with exportable products but whose market reach may not be long enough or who need some financial support.

According to GMB Malaysia president Agil Faisal Ahmad Fadzil, the centre would be set up by December by the organisation in a venture with IM Investment Holdings Pte Ltd, a company specialising in integrating the business value chain.

“The programme will identify the new SMEs and help them to develop products for exports,” he said. Besides identifying the companies involved, GMB Malaysia would also help in running campaigns and organise trade shows for them.

IM, which has a network in seven countries across the Asia-Pacific region and partners around the world, would assist via their expertise in various markets and their access to clients, which include those in the public sector.

Agil said this platform had been proven in Turkey by IM, which also had a venture with the Japan External Trade Organisation to do the same.

“We can further help our SMEs through IM, who can help identify the suitability of products for exports,” he added.

Agil said if these companies succeeded in exporting their products to Singapore, there would be more acceptance for these products in the region and around the world. “It’s a benchmark,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dzulkifli said Malaysia currently exported a whole range of FMCGs to Singapore. “These products include those in the food and beverage, household items, personal care and fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables.”

The latest trade data released by the Statistics Department shows Singapore remains Malaysia’s second largest trade partner in terms of total trade with the island-republic taking up a 50.3 per cent share of the 109.8 billion ringgit (US$35.70 billion) exports to Asean from January to July.